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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/may/02/on-every-roof-something-is-possible-how-sponge-cities-could-change-the-way-we-handle-rain>
"You might visit Amsterdam for its canals, and who could blame you, really. But
the truly interesting waterways aren’t under your feet – they’re above your
head.
Beautiful green roofs have popped up all over the world: specially selected
plants growing on structures designed to manage the extra weight of biomass.
Amsterdam has taken that one step further with blue-green roofs, specially
designed to capture rainwater. One project, the resilience network of smart,
innovative, climate-adaptive rooftops (Resilio), has covered more than 9,000 sq
metres (100,000 sq ft) of Amsterdam’s roofs, including 8,000 sq metres on
social housing complexes. Citywide, the blue-green roof coverage is even
bigger, estimated at more than 45,000 sq metres.
The “sponge city” concept is becoming increasingly popular. Planners deploy
more green spaces that soak up downpours that are getting heavier as the world
warms. That simultaneously reduces flooding and recharges the underlying layer
of absorbent rock, which can then be tapped into in times of need. Whereas
cities used to be designed to divert rainwater away as quickly as possible,
increasingly, they are exploiting that resource."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
